MPTF, UCLA Partner on Outpatient Centers

The UCLA Health System and the Motion Picture and Television Fund are joining forces.

The two non-profits said Wednesday that they have signed a letter of intent that would bring MPTF’s six outpatient health centers under the UCLA banner.

Under the arrangement, the UCLA Health System would assume the leases for the MPTF sites. The more than 40 primary care physicians at the clinics would join the UCLA faculty.

All other MPTF programs and services, including its long-term care and memory impairment units and social services that entail everything from financial assistance to home safety programs will be operated solely by the entertainment industry charity.

“UCLA has committed to operating the health centers exclusively for the use of industry members, with the same physician group and same clinical staff at the same locations. This is a winner for all stakeholders,” said Bob Beitcher, CEO of MPTF, said in a statement.

The MPTF has been actively seeking healthcare partners in recent years. It nearly closed a deal in 2011 that would have seen Providence Health & Services oversee the MPTF’s long-term care facilities, only to have it collapse over financial concerns.

The MPTF and UCLA plan to integrate the two operations in late spring 2014. The deal still needs to be finalized and will require board approval.

Dr. Janice Spinner, chief medical officer for MPTF, will remain in her role in the new organization, which will operate as an independent unit within UCLA.

“Aligning ourselves with the UCLA Health System is the best thing we could do today to ensure the long-term continuity for our patients and physicians,” Spinner said. “Scale will matter more and more in health care as the risk for providing care shifts from fee-for-service to larger organizations that will get paid for keeping people healthy.”

The new outpatient health system will be co-branded by MPTF and the UCLA Health System, and an advisory panel with equal representation from both organizations will provide strategic direction.

MPTF currently provides primary health care to 60,000 industry members and their families through its health centers and Health Wheels, its mobile health van. Additionally, it offers ancillary services like lab, radiology, ambulatory surgery and gastrointestinal procedures and has an innovative palliative care program for residents on the Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills and industry members in the community. All of these services will continue to be offered and will be integrated into the UCLA Health System at the completion of the transaction.